The Mutt
by telmeastory
Summary: Vicki has fallen in love with a mutt, a stray. But things are not always as they seem...
1. Chapter 1: Meet the Mutt

Vicki stared down at the dog. She wasn't quite sure where or when the stupid mutt had become so important to her, but for some strange reason she had come to love and care for it. It had been quite some time since she had first found the dog sitting outside her apartment and had offered it some food. After that first meal, the dog had come back every day for a week and Vicki had taken to sitting outside while the dog lapped water from a bowl and devoured whatever food she had brought it that day.

Not having found a tag, Vicki had taken the dog to see a local vet and had finally succumbed after two weeks of feeding to taking the dog in. It had been awkward at first. The first day, the dog just sat at the door and stared at her. She had tried to coax the dog to come relax, even placed some food and water out. She wasn't sure why, but something about the dog seemed familiar. Kind of like a long forgotten memory.

But try as she might, the dog didn't take the bait. He spent the next several hours just sitting and staring at her. She had finally given in and spent some time staring back. She noted the eyes the dog had to go with his long coat. With all others options gone and feeling defeated, Vicki had gone to sleep.

It had been pleasant to wake up to the dog curled up on her bed at her feet.

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Vicki had ended up leaving Dimmsdale to make her way to Phoenix. 'The Valley of the Sun' or simply the Valley as many residents called it. It was a busy area, but it had worked for her. She had moved there shortly after high school. She needed an escape from her parents and her sister. They had all become a tad overbearing when she had foregone college. Instead of sitting around listening to their complaining, Vicki had packed up everything she owned and made her way out to the Valley. She had suffered through a few different jobs ranging from a grocery store to nanny duties before getting what she felt had been her luckiest break of all.

She'd spent some time writing, which was where her true passion lay. Nothing much came of it. She had started her own blog where she gave her "rant of the week" along with some other random tidbits she felt like raving about that week. It had developed quite a following and somehow she ended up picking up a few celebrity endorsements. Her blog soon was getting millions of hits a day and she found she was able to live comfortably on the income from the work.

So she had turned to writing. She'd written a few fiction pieces, but nothing really went too well. She got them turned down quite a bit. So she had sarcastically written a self-help book for life. For some reason, that was the piece that publishers had fallen in love with. When it reached number 4 on the New York Time's Bestseller list, they asked for a follow-up. Vicki had obliged, submitting a manuscript for her self-help book on love. It became an even bigger hit than her first, topping out at number 2 on the list.

And it always made Vicki chuckle a bit when one of her adoring fans would come up at a book signing and talk about how much Vicki's book had changed their lives. Vicki never felt guilty about it, but it did make her smile. Now if only she could manage that for herself.

But it never seemed to really work out. No matter the case, her boyfriends always ended up being jerks. Some wanted the money and fame, others wanted her body, and she never really mattered. Vicki began to hate it and turned to eating. She wanted to put on some weight and scare them all off. And she did put on some weight, becoming pleasantly plump as opposed to the obese she sought. It did manage to deter several of the guys after her body at least. But that seemed to make finding love even more difficult.

So Vicki had focused on her blog and her books. She had started on one last book, this one a bit more seriously. She was entitling it 'What to do when life is nothing but broken.'

It had been a depressing few months when Vicki had come across the mutt, but after just one week in her life, she loved that dog. Even with no good reason. And the dog seemed to love her, so that helped.

That had been about 5 months ago.

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Vicki had just gone out for a walk, trying to clear her head after another long night of writer's block. The warm air (Let's face it, even early October in Phoenix is hot, no matter what time of day or night) almost felt refreshing on her skin. She felt strange in her tank top and jeans, but she just needed to get away. So she had walked for about an hour before turning to head back to her apartment.

And as she turned the corner, she saw it happen. The mutt had gotten out of her apartment and had been sitting, waiting for her to get back. When he had seen her come around the corner, he had jumped up and started to cross the street.

And Vicki felt it happening in slow motion. She watched the dog just as she heard the horns and screeching tires. And the next thing she knew, the dog was lying flat on the ground as she rushed to its side. Vicki began calling for help. She picked up the mutt and was directed to an emergency animal hospital just around the corner.

So she had run. She sprinted her way there, trying not to jostle the dog too much. She was so worried and concerned, that nothing else mattered. All she was worried about was having the dog curled up at her feet ever again. And as she thought about the mutt not being there, she felt herself begin to sob and a tear fall down her cheek.

What the hell was this? She was Victoria Valentine. How could she, of all people, be crying over a dog. What. The. Hell.

But then she heard a small gurgling sound from the dog and it didn't matter. She found the hospital and rushed in screaming.

"HELP!"

The lady behind the counter seemed shocked as the red-haired woman rushed in. After staring at Vicki for a moment, she jumped to her feet and brought a gurney over for Vicki to lay the dog on before rushing behind some swinging doors.

She returned a moment later with a short white-haired man in scrubs with an unruly beard dancing around his face. He had a kind, if crazy, Santa look about him. He stalked over to examine the dog while drilling Vicki for information.

"What happened?"

"He got hit by a car." Vicki felt herself sniffle again. She thought she might cry.

After sitting in a panic for a few moments, Vicki saw the vet's shoulders sag. She wasn't sure what it meant. He mumbled something under his breath before turning to the lady from behind the counter.

"Best give him to the new guy, he's one of the best I've ever seen. And this poor boy is going to need the best."

Vicki felt her breath hitch in her chest at that. If the mutt needed the best, that did not seem positive. She tried to control the sobbing she now felt in her chest. She watched as the Lady sprinted off through the doors once more, shouting for someone.

The old doctor looked at her before coming over and leading her carefully to a seat. He sat her down before pulling her chin up to look at him.

"Don't worry, my dear. I promise you the old boy is in the hands of the best vet I've ever seen in my 38 years. If anyone can save him, that youngin' can."

Vicki tried to smile at the doctors attempt to make her feel better, but it didn't help. After attempting a smile, she let her eyes fall again. The doctor stood up and let out a sigh.

"You relax my dear. We'll let you know as soon as we know anything."

As he walked away, Vicki felt herself being taken by sleep. The adrenaline rushing through her was too much to stay awake and focused. So she faded into the embrace of sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: The Doctor

Vicki felt herself slowly becoming aware of the room once more. She could feel the chair digging into her back and knew she was uncomfortable. It had been a long night and she knew her back would not be forgiving her anytime soon.

As she was about to stretch, she heard voices and decided she would wait and listen.

"That's her, over there."

"I guess I should go tell her."

"Take it easy, she was a bit of a mess last night when she brought him in."

"Ok, thanks Lauren."

She waited as their conversation ended. She knew that Lauren was the lady behind the counter. She recognized that voice. It was the other one which caught her attention. It wounded sweet and almost savory. She liked how it felt to listen to it.

As she was dwelling on this, she became aware of footsteps near her. She still had not opened her eyes or moved. She waited until a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Miss?" The hand shook her a bit, trying to gage if she was awake. Feigning waking as she stretched, Vicki slowly looked up. And she found herself staring into bright blue eyes with brunette hair.

Wait, what? She knew those eyes and that hair. And when she caught a glimpse of a pink t-shirt below the scrubs, all doubt was removed. She almost jumped as he seemed to realize the same thing.

"Vicki?" There was shock in his voice as he withdrew his hand. She missed it for a moment, appreciating the kindness and comfort it had been offering. Then she offered him a slow grin.

"Hey Twerp." He dropped into the seat beside her and she appreciated that he had not gone running away. She thought back to how she had treated him when he was younger and she was very happy he did not run away when he figured out who she was.

"So…wow…" He stopped and stared for a moment, simply taking her in. She appreciated it for a moment when his eyes dipped down across her entire body. Then she caught herself. Why would she react like that? This was the twerp. This was Timmy. Whom she had babysat. Wow, it really had been a long time. Then his words shook her from her stupor.

"Oh, so the dog…?" He trailed, waiting for her to offer a name. She paused. She had never really considered naming the dog. He was just the mutt…the stray…the dog. Sensing she had nothing to offer, Timmy continued.

"Well, he is in recovery. It was about 5 hours' worth of work, but he seems out of immediate danger now. He will have to stay here for a few days, then we can let you take him. He is going to need a lot of rest after what that car did to him."

Vicki could almost sense a bit of passion in Timmy's voice. She liked it, to see him excited. She considered for a moment how she wished someone would ever be that passionate about her before letting the thought slip away. Timmy always had been a caring sort, so him being here as a vet made sense. And from what the old doctor had said, Timmy was really good.

"Ok…" She didn't really know what else to say, so she sat and stared for a moment. Timmy seemed to sense this and finally placed his hand back on her shoulder as he made his suggestion.

"You could, umm, go home for a bit? These chairs are far from comfortable. Perhaps there is a better place to get some sleep? I promise we will call you if anything changes. We'll call to set up for him to go home too."

"You will?" Vicki felt herself say it. She meant it for him directly, but he didn't know that. And she didn't want him to know it. What was going on with her? This wasn't typical Vicki.

"I promise." Timmy had moved down and held her hand in both of his. He seemed to really want to make her feel better. And she appreciated it. But his touch did something else to her and it worried her. Just then, her back gave a twinge and she grimaced. She decided she should take his advice about going home. "Ok, home then…right." She tore her eyes from him and stood.

And then fell again. Her back hurt and she was still exhausted. But it didn't matter because Timmy caught her before she could fall. As she looked through the front of the clinic, she could see how dark it was and how quiet. Apparently it was very early in the morning. And Timmy had literally worked on her dog all night long.

With his arm wrapped under hers to support her, Vicki watched as Timmy glanced around the waiting room. Seeing no one around, he called over to Lauren.

"Lauren, I'll be right back. I'm going to help Miss Valentine home." Vicki thought she saw an angry look in Lauren's eyes, but as she nodded her eyes were already back on her computer screen. And then Timmy was helping her out the door. She tried to turn back for her purse before noting that he already had it.

So they went, her leaning on his shoulder and giving him directions as they made their way along. With her sore back, it was slow going but Vicki didn't care. She was just enjoying the feeling of where she was. She took a deep breath and caught the scent of hi cologne and loved it.

Somewhere along the way, she felt herself falling asleep. She fought it for as long as she could, but it didn't matter and she passed out. She gave in to the experience and faded into sleep after one more look up at Timmy who was just smiling and helping her along.

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Vicki woke up the next morning lying on her soft bed. The sheets were wrapped gently around her and she noticed that she was in her underwear. Thinking back on her morning, she felt herself blush. She looked around quickly but did not see Timmy anywhere. Letting out a breath, she relaxed. At least she hadn't done something more foolish. She sat up and looked over to her nightstand.

Then she saw the letter. It was settled just under her phone, almost to make sure she would find it. She picked it up to read the thick rough script.

 _Vicki,_

 _Sorry about not being there when you woke up like you asked. I had to get back to the hospital. I'm also sorry about taking your clothes off, but you kept complaining about how uncomfortable they were on the walk home. I hoped it would be ok. I promise I'll be keeping a close eye on your mutt and will let you know the instant he is awake._

 _I'm sorry we had to meet again like this, but it was really nice to see you._

 _Timmy (aka Twerp)_

Lying on top of her phone, she noticed, was a business card. She picked it up, almost hoping to see his number. As she read it, she noted that her twerp was now Timmy Turner, DVM. There were some other letters she didn't really understand, but she was impressed nonetheless. She was disappointed when she didn't see anything more than his work number, so she sat the card back down on her phone and went to shower.

It was when she got back from the shower when she noticed that there was some writing on the back of the card, and it made her smile.


	3. Chapter 3: The Bike

Vicki smiled to herself as she shimmied into a pair of jeans and a nice blouse. The note hadn't been a number quite like she had hoped, but it was a location and time. When she checked her watch, she noticed that she still had about half an hour. If she hurried, it was just enough time to get ready and get there.

So once she was dressed, she slipped her phone into her clutch, grabbed her keys, and slid out the door, locking it behind her. Then she stumbled back to the hospital. Of course that was the location, but it had said to be there at 10am. She felt herself smiling, though she really had no reason to. So she forced herself to stop just as the clinic came into view.

But as she walked in the door, she nearly lost her fight. Standing there in dark jeans with a leather jacket on and his bag thrown over his shoulder was Timmy. He was saying goodbye to Lauren who once again managed to give Vicki the stink eye. It kind of made Vicki's heart flutter a bit, but she kept her eyes on Timmy. As he turned to face her, she saw him slip for a moment. His jaw dropped as his eyes popped wide open, though she wasn't really sure why. She was a bit larger than she had ever been, enough that other guys quit chasing her physically. And it seemed odd for him to react that way when Lauren was standing there and she looked both younger and fitter than Vicki.

But Timmy was back to normal before she really had a chance to dwell on it. Not seeming to care who was in the room, Timmy dropped his bag and ran walked over to sweep Vicki off the ground in a hug. She hadn't noticed last night how big he had gotten. He stood nearly a foot taller than her. That was saying something as she was 5'8", but as he lifted her off the ground, she felt how strong he was too.

And she could have sworn she heard him sniff her hair.

But then the hug was over and her head, while still spinning, was back standing on the floor with the rest of her. She already felt like she wanted another one, but didn't want to push. So instead, she did the very Vicki thing. She smacked his arm hard.

"Oww, what was that for Vicki?"

"For spinning me and making me dizzy, Twerp." Vicki felt herself blush. She didn't really want to hurt him or make him mad, but she wasn't sure how else to react. So she had reverted and even called him Twerp. Which he was anything but.

Wait, stop. Don't call him not a Twerp. Ugh, what was wrong with her? But when she heard him Laugh, she knew it hadn't mattered.

"Fine, no more spinning." Wait, that wasn't what she had meant. "Instead, let's go grab some food? We can catch up!"

Vicki tried to put on a straight face, but that had been exactly what she wanted. So she reached out and poked him in the chest.

"Ok, but you're buying…Twerp."

"Gladly." At that, Vicki lost herself in his eyes. It almost hurt how much she wanted to stand there and stare at them forever, but she knew she couldn't. She shook herself awake and grabbed his arm, noting with satisfaction the look on Lauren's face. With a small grin, she turned to him.

"Well good. Let's go then!"

"Where to?"

"You tell me."

"I'm new in town, so you get the privilege of showing me around, Miss Valentine."

"Good, then you are stuck with me."

Here Vicki let him see her evil grin, one which previously had led to the small boy she knew cringing before her. Instead, he stood up with her arm in his, grinned back at her, and led her right out the door.

To his motorcycle. Of course he would be riding one now. Vicki wasn't sure she was ok with that, but when he offered her a helmet and his smile, she caved. Well, now she was going to have to trust him on this thing.

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Timmy had been gentle with his ride at first. Vicki had learned slowly to move with the flow of the ride, leaning as he directed and was just coming to enjoy the ride. It was pleasant and with her arms wrapped around his chest, she felt safe. She could feel his muscles beneath his shirt, since that had come off as soon as they walked out into the sweltering heat. She had noticed him wearing a pink t-shirt, one which hung beautifully down his shoulders and chest. So she had smiled at him and slipped off her own blouse, leaving her in a tank top. She smiled as she saw Timmy just stare. It felt nice to be the center of his attention. She had missed that a bit.

And they had climbed onto his bike, her arms wrapping carefully around his chest. At first, she had clung as tightly as she dared. Just enough not to fall off, but not tight enough to be pressed against him. He had noticed the white knuckle grip on her fingers and reached his arm back. She almost hadn't noticed as he pulled her close and told her he wouldn't let anything happen. Vicki had felt butterflies in her stomach and tried to quiet them. Butterflies? What the…but for the twerp? Ok, sure he was handsome and a nice caring vet…and had already been nicer to her in a few hours than anyone else in her life had in their entire lifetimes, but still…ugh!

And they had been off, carefully cruising the streets with her at times pointing for him to turn down different roads as they sought out her favorite restaurant. Over the ride, she had loosened up and become comfortable with the ride, though she still remained close to him since he had put her there.

And then it had happened. Could she have seen his face, Vicki would have seen the sly grin on Timmy's face as they sat at the red light. The instant it turned green, he gunned the engine and they were off. It was all Vicki could do to cling to him, her hands wrapping painfully around his chest. She pulled herself close to him, and Timmy smiled.

Until he heard her sniffle. It was loud enough to hear over the sound of the wind whipping by, and now he was concerned. He slowed back down and slid down a side street. They were near his apartment and from running every morning, he knew there was a park near here. He came to a stop gently in a parking spot and put down the kickstand. As he did this, Vicki still clung to him like there was no tomorrow and Timmy could not ignore the sound of her tears now. He deftly pulled her off the bike into a hug as he removed her helmet. As he did, she didn't even look up into his eyes, but buried her face in his chest. Well this was not what he had expected.


	4. Chapter 4: Don't cry

"Vicki." He called softly. When she didn't look up, he pulled her face up so he could see her eyes. She fought it for a moment before giving in and looking at him.

"Vicki, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you…I just wanted to feel you hold me again." He trailed off as blush crept into his cheeks. Vicki had been working herself up to be mad at him, to try and slap him for that. But he had no idea how much that had scared her or her past. And when he told her that, she gave in completely.

"You j-….you what?" She looked confused. Timmy drew in a deep breath and wrapped his arms around the red haired woman who was still trembling before him.

"I'm sorry Vicki. I shouldn't have done that." Vicki snapped herself back to reality. She pushed him back a bit, just far enough so she could see him. He looked confused for a moment so she steeled herself up and did it.

She smacked his cheek. Here he was being so nice and she smacked him.

"Don't you ever dare do that to me again, you jerk."

Here she softened and jumped back into his arms. He was a bit apprehensive until he heard her voice in his ear.

"If you want me to hug or hold you, Twerp, all you have to do is ask."

Timmy felt his own lips curl up in a smile as she said that. He held her close before lifting her off the ground again. This time he didn't swing her around, he just held her. After a moment or two, he settled her back onto the ground and awkwardly released the hug. After a moment of pained silence, Timmy offered.

"So…still hungry?"

Vicki reviewed the rather empty park around her before looking back at him.

"Actually, I think I'd rather take a walk." She took a few steps onto the grass before looking back at him. "You coming?" He waited until she reached out a hand before grinning like a wild man and jumping over beside her. He grabbed her hand before she could pull it back.

"I thought you would never ask."

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They spent the next hour strolling through the park updating one another on their lives. Apparently Timmy had actually been the smartest kid in not just his class but the school when he actually applied himself. That shocked and hurt AJ. But ultimately it hadn't mattered. Timmy got a full-ride to a state agricultural school and had then been off to Vet School in New York, at Cornell. He had managed to get a full-ride there as well which was no small feat. And he had taken an extra year to study not only small animals, such as cats and dogs and the more typical stuff you see in a vet clinic, but exotic animals as well. It had apparently worked out really well because not only did he get the spot at the vet clinic, but the Phoenix Zoo worked with him regularly for their animals.

Of course all of that was rather recent since he had just graduated from Cornell last May. Vicki listened to his tale intently and he did the same for hers. And she noticed that he never dropped their hands as they walked. It made her smile.

And after her story, which he thoroughly enjoyed, talk had turned back to the motorcycle. Timmy was still worried about it, even though Vicki was ready to let it go.

"I am really sorry about that Vicki. It was stupid and I should not have done it."

"Twerp, its fine, really. Just let it go."

"But I upset you that much. I can't do that. Not to you." Vicki let out a snort when he said that.

"And why not? I figured you'd be out to torture me after the way I treated you." Timmy didn't look at her when she said that. He mumbled something under his breath before offering another apology to her.

"Well, still, I'm sorry Vicki." Vicki let out an exasperated sigh.

"Timmy, there is really nothing to be sorry about. I've just had some bad times with motorcycles before." She stopped there. She couldn't believe she had said that out loud. She had never told anyone that ever. And she didn't want to. Motorcycles scared her for a number of reasons.

"Oh." It was all he said, but he apparently noticed her eyes starting to water again because Timmy finally dropped her hand in order to pull her into a hug. She let out a sniffle before going on.

"It's ok, really. It wasn't your fault." She paused, but then made the mistake of looking into his eyes. She couldn't stop. Those eyes made her want to tell him everything.

"It was one of my exes. He was the real bad boy type. You know the kind of guy I used to attract. Well still do in some ways." She noticed Timmy flinch at this. She hadn't meant him, but she didn't even know if he was attracted to her. So she went on. "Well, he was a real jack-ass. He would do things all the time to get me riled up, worked up, and pissed off. And it worked. He would do things like that on the motorcycle, just to get a reaction or a rise out of me." She felt her body tense, scared of where to go with this next. She really didn't want to say it, but one more look in Timmy' eyes and she suddenly felt safe. So she went on.

"Well it wasn't a healthy relationship as they say. He started beating me when we didn't do things how he wanted, and the tricks on the motorcycle got more aggressive. They went from making me angry to scaring me. And what's more, he wanted more physical stuff that I really didn't. So he forced himself on me. We went to a party one night and he did things I didn't want." She stopped and her breath hitched. Timmy pulled her close and when she looked up, she was sure she saw fire and rage in his eyes. It was something she had not expected from Timmy. Fighting back the tears at her memories, she went on.

"Once he got bored, I asked him to take me home. He was a real jerk about having to leave early, but finally relented. We got on the bike and went off. It was late and there weren't many cars around, so he decided to have some fun by scaring the shit out of me. He did what you did at a red light, but I didn't hold tight enough. He went too fast, to dangerous. The bike roared down and around a curve and I couldn't hold on. I got thrown off into a tree. And I was lucky as hell. It only broke two legs and shattered my hand. Cuts and bruises galore and a concussion. I fainted, thankfully, and woke up in a hospital. Never saw or heard from that dick again after that."

She looked up and saw a mix of sorrow and anger fighting in Timmy's face. She wasn't sure how to react, which Timmy saw, so he desperately pulled her into his embrace. And she felt safer than she had in years as he held her.

"I am so sorry Vicki. I was such a fool. Can you ever forgive me?" She felt him crying into her shoulder, offering her the power to walk away from him. She smiled. Even after all these years, he was still the same sweet twerp he had been when she watched him as a kid. She felt a shiver run down her body at the man he had become. And she knew she wanted him. So she reached up and pulled on his hair till her drew back enough for her to see into his eyes.

"I will forgive you as long as you warn me in the future so I can get a good grip on you first." Then she offered him a dangerous smile. "And as long as you still take me for lunch."


	5. Chapter 5: What Happened Next

As Timmy laughed, Vicki knew she wanted to get lost in it. She was thoroughly enjoying this. She smiled and grabbed his arm and they began making their way back to the bike. When they arrived, Timmy once again held the helmet out to her. After a moment's hesitation, he reached out for it. But Timmy held it tight, until she looked up into his eyes. He offered her a smile.

"Promise me you will hold on to me tight. I won't let anything happen. I promise." Between that smile and his words, Vicki knew she was going to give in. She nodded mutely and took the helmet, gripping him tightly as she slid on behind him. And they were off once again for her favorite restaurant.

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Lunch had gone very well. The two enjoyed their food and a light conversation. Vicki felt herself tense when a very attractive brunette waitress sauntered over to their table. When the waitress saw Timmy, she laid it on thick, and Vicki wasn't happy. And she watched as Timmy was incredibly nice back, which made her a bit jealous. But what on earth did she have to be jealous about? Timmy could talk to and see whoever he wanted. He wasn't hers…as much as she would have liked that.

Then Vicki had turned the conversation to the topic she had been dreading all night.

"So how is the Mutt?"

"The mutt huh? Very imaginative with your names, Miss Valentine."

"Hey, watch it Twerp." Timmy smiled. He had missed that name, strange as it may sound. Vicki went on. "Besides, He has only been with me for about 5 months or so."

"Oh yeah? Huh, I was wondering." Timmy pondered this for a moment. He wasn't sure exactly what to say. When he had seen the mutt, it felt familiar. It was the strangest feeling in the world, like a long forgotten memory, but how could he really explain that? So he didn't try.

"Well Vicki, that dog is as tough as you. Got his by the car and lived. But it took a lot of work. Right now if it even tried to wag its tail, it would probably pull a few of my sutures. But he'll be right as rain and we'll have him back in your home in no time."

Vicki smiled. It felt nice to hear Timmy care and worry. And it felt good to see him smile. They kept going through their conversation, enjoying what each on offered, lavishing in the teasing and fun. And finally it had come to a quiet end. They had left with Timmy driving back to Vicki's apartment.

They carefully got off his bike and he walked her to her door. As they strolled up, it felt awkward. They turned, looking at one another. Vicki desperately knew she wanted to kiss him, but she had no idea how he would react. Ok, most signs seemed to point to him at least not biting her head off for it, but she still couldn't bring herself to move. So they both stood like statues. After a moment, Timmy broke the silence.

"So I had a lot of fun, Vicki."

"Yeah, me too Twerp." The two settled back into the silence, so Timmy offered again.

"Umm, so then I should probably…go?" Vicki smiled. She wondered how often Timmy had issues flirting. Having heard and seen him around a few other women, she thought his kindness coupled with his looks probably made it easy. Still, she was enjoying seeing him flustered over her. She offered him a wicked grin before reaching into her clutch.

Timmy took that as a sign and turned to walk away, back to his bike. Vicki looked up having found what she was looking for and saw his back going down the stairs. She smirked and called him back.

"Hey Twerp!" When he turned around, she bounded down till she was standing beside him. Putting on all the charm she felt she could muster, Vicki grabbed his hand and wrote something down before turning to walk away, giving him a great view of her ass as she swayed her way back up the stairs. She opened her door and called back to him.

"Give me a call sometime, Dr. Turner." Then she was gone and in the door.

Timmy looked down to see she had written her phone number on his hand. While he was not entirely sure as to why, it sent a thrill through his heart. Timmy had started down the stairs again on his way back to his bike.

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Vicki shut the door and leaned against it, her heart racing. She knew why, but she wasn't sure she could have it. Still, watching him fumble over her like that, and how careful he had been with her even since last night made her incredibly happy. All she wanted to do when he had been there was jump into his arms, but she wasn't sure he wanted that. So she had opted for giving him her number.

As she slowly slid to the floor with her back against the door, she wondered how long he would take. She knew she wanted to hear from him again right then, but it was in his court now. And she had heard about guys usually taking some time to contact ladies after a date.

Wait, not date. That wasn't a date. They had just gone for a ride, then out to eat. Sure they had hugged, and held hands. Sure, to this point he had even seen her in her underwear. And sure, she desperately wanted it to be a date. But it wasn't that.

Then she thought back to how he had reacted after hearing about her past and she smiled. He had seemed so defensive, so caring. It made her feel safe. He had cared for her just as he had cared for the Mutt. It was exactly what she had wanted and she loved it. She loved him.

Wait, huh? Love? How had she jumped from one not really a date with a guy she used to babysit right to love? That didn't seem to fit. But oh my, did she desperately want it to.

Vicki stood and peeled herself away from the door, her thoughts still raging. She wanted to get them out of her mind, so she strolled over to her bathroom. She had planned on taking a shower, but once she saw the state of her make-up, she elected to soak in the tub instead. After running the water and pouring herself a glass of wine, she settled in. She listened to the music she had turned on as it floated through the air, sipping at her wine.

After a few hours, Vicki pulled herself from the water to see the sky darkening outside. She smiled as she got ready for bed and curled up beneath the covers. Then her face fell. She wanted desperately for someone to be there with her. She didn't realize how badly she wanted that until she noted the dog wasn't at her feet. She missed the dog. And for the third time that day, Vicki cried.

Just as she was wearing herself out and going to sleep, she saw her phone light up. She pulled it to her and opened the text.

Timmy – Hey Vicki, this is Timmy. I'm sorry for not waiting the mandatory 'three days' after our 'date' but I just wanted to say thank you. That really meant a lot. You are amazing.

Vicki smiled at that. Of course he was one who would type out those long texts. He seemed to have enjoyed their adventure and that made her happy. He had even referred to it as a date, if only as a joke. But what about the thank you and everything? Ah well, she was just happy he had contacted her.

Vicki – Hey Twerp. I had a great time too. Thanks for putting up with me and making me feel safe. I needed that. And thanks for taking care of the Mutt. Its kinda lonely here without him.

She smiled, not sure how he would respond to that. And as she did, she felt herself fade into sleep.

Timmy, on the other hand, was on his way into work. He had pulled in a quick nap as he still had two more nights to work before he was back on a regular day shift. He had texted her as soon as he woke up, not wanting to wait any longer. And now he was making a quick break through the waiting room to get changed so that he nearly didn't hear Lauren.

"Good evening, Dr. Turner. How are you tonight?"

Timmy looked up and saw her grinning at him. Lauren had been very nice to him since he had gotten here. She always seemed to be working when he came in, but she ran the desk so he thought she was just there a lot. And she had been nice, helping him get adjusted to the area. She was only about 2 years older than him and if he was honest, she was attractive. But she wasn't his type. Timmy didn't really have a type as far as body, for him it was more about the person. And because of that, he had never dated anyone seriously. Sure, several women had tried. He'd even had 2 different professors try and get involved with him. But Timmy had always been either too slow on the uptake or too nice to let things get there. So now Timmy turned his full attention to their desk manager.

"I'm fine Lauren, thank you. I hope you are doing well yourself?" She grinned back at him, nodding and coming around the counter to follow him into the changing room while she updated him on his cases. He went to his locker and began changing, but was hidden by a row of lockers. She grinned when she saw him slip his shirt off and she caught a glimpse of his well-muscled chest. After she finished, she hung around till he left the room, following him out.

And they went about their evening, finishing the shift. Finally, as Timmy was done around 10am, he went to find his phone. He finally saw Vicki's text and was ready to reply when he heard Lauren mumble something to him. Thinking it was about leaving, he looked up at her with a smile.

"Wh-, umm…sure Lauren."

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful! Wait right there and I'll grab my stuff!" As she took off, turning the running of the desk over to someone else, Timmy considered her reaction. She was super excited and it dawned on Timmy he had just said yes to something he had really not intended on. As they moved outside to his bike, he tried to play it off as he handed her the helmet.

"So where to?"

Lauren grinned at him.

"I know jsu the place!"


	6. Chapter 6: Just a Door

As Lauren jumped on behind him, Timmy was feeling lost. He wasn't sure what he had done to get himself into this position and he truly was not sure if he wanted to be in it. Especially not after the fun he'd had with Vicki. This was all just too much. But Lauren was super excited and he'd already said yes. Curse this nice-guy thing he had going.

As the two tore down the road, Lauren directed him toward a restaurant. The two settled into a comfortable rhythm while riding, but each time they moved, Timmy felt Lauren slide closer. She really was a sweet woman, but for some reason her clutching him made him feel guilty and uncomfortable. But then he thought of Vicki and what he had done to her and realized he didn't want to upset anyone else. He could get over it.

So they went in to dinner. It was your typical, All-American diner with some lovely food. The waitress settled the two in and they enjoyed chatting and food. Timmy still felt weird, but as the conversation went on, the two loosened up. Lauren was a great lady who had graduated from a school in Colorado with a degree in business and was actually the one who ran the books for the clinic. She'd moved to Phoenix when she needed a break from the snow and from a particularly pushy ex-boyfriend. She'd dated a few guys since then, but it had never really seemed to work out.

And now the two were here. He'd driven her back to her apartment, just a short walk away from the clinic. As they had stopped, Lauren had grabbed his arm and dragged him off the bike after her. They made it to her door and she was casually asking him if he wanted to come in for a bit. Timmy nervously stroked the hair at the back of his neck and politely declined. Mentioned not getting enough sleep recently and that he needed a nap before tugging himself back to the clinic. After a sigh and a muttered goodbye, he had turned to go.

That was when it happened. For Timmy, it was almost in slow motion. Lauren grabbed his arm and pulled him back for a kiss. Doing his best not to be rude, Timmy had pulled away as quickly as he could, turning and calling a goodbye over his shoulder. Then he noticed the smirk on Lauren's face. Looking back toward his bike, he saw her.

Vicki was standing across the street.

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She should have known it was too good to be true. How could anyone like her like that? Timmy was just a sweet guy, that was all. He had been sweet enough to just make her fall in love with him, that was all. Ugh.

At that point, not wanting to be there, she tore her eyes from him and ran. She dropped her groceries behind her and just ran, not caring where. As long as it was away.

She had been out to take a walk down to the grocery store. She needed a few things and with the stuff with Timmy and the Mutt, she had been neglecting herself. But for some strange reason, she had found a new reason to get excited and had finally pushed herself out the door. She had strolled down and picked up several things, and was even considering asking Timmy to come over for dinner.

Then she had noticed the two standing across the street on a stoop. She watched, curious for a minute. As she watched, she saw Lauren gesture for the two to move inside and Timmy had been nervous. It made her hairs stand up at first till he turned to walk away. That made her smile. But what happened next, well it broke her heart.

She watched him spin around and kiss her. Then, as she saw the smirk cross Lauren's face, she saw Timmy see her.

And she had run.

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Timmy had turned back to Lauren and offered a short glare to which she merely shrugged before going inside. He would talk to her later. She didn't seem too upset, but she was a business associate for now. Damn, why were things so complicated.

So he turned his attention back to his larger concern. Vicki. He knew she had every right to be upset with him, but he needed to talk to her, to see her, to hold her. He needed to tell her.

No, not that. He was not sure he would ever have enough courage to tell her that, but he knew he at least needed to apologize. Even if she never spoke another word to him after that, he owed her that much. Even if it would be the hardest thing to do, walking away from her after he had just found her. He hated the thought.

So Timmy ran. He was in pretty good physical condition, but Vicki seemed to have an energy he never would have imagined. Maybe it was adrenaline, maybe it was anger. No, he didn't want to think about that. He didn't want her to be mad, and more importantly he didn't want her to be mad at him.

So he pushed himself faster, calling after her just before she disappeared around another corner.

"Vicki!" He saw her hesitate for a second, but then she was gone. So Timmy pushed himself again, trying to close the distance.

But he was too slow. As he passed the corner, he found himself facing a street where he would never find her. It was a local pub crawl and she had disappeared into the crowd. This wasn't at all what he had wanted.

Feeling tears forming in his own eyes, Timmy turned back. He wasn't sure where to go next, so he went back to his bike. He sat there for a moment, lost. As he sat, concentrating, he felt something on his shoulder. He looked up to see Lauren standing there. Ok, not whom he had expected and he wasn't sure he wanted to see her right now. He sat in silence, so she broke it.

"You really care about her, huh?" Timmy just nodded.

"Like, a whole lot?" Timmy nodded once again.

"Almost like love?" Timmy felt himself stiffen as his face turned a shade of red he did not imagine was possible. Then he nodded too. Here, Lauren withdrew her hand and let out a sigh.

"Then I'm really sorry Timmy. I've seen how you look at her and I had kind of hoped I could get you to see me that way. But you should go get her."

That was not what Timmy had been expecting her to say. He looked back at her, thanking her with his eyes. Then he let out his own sad sigh.

"Lauren, you deserve for someone to look at you with love, and you'll find it. Just not with me." Then he let his head drop and continued as quiet as he possibly could, hoping no one would hear as he shed his own tears. "It doesn't look like I'll get that either, ever again."

Here Timmy felt someone slap him. He turned to look at Lauren. Apparently she had heard him.

"She never will if you don't tell her how you really feel. Go see her, stupid."

Then Timmy made up his mind. He needed to see her again. He said his thanks to Lauren and jumped on to bike over to Vicki's. He was there in a few moments. He knocked, but there was no answer, so Timmy sat down in front of the door. Maybe he could catch her while she was asleep. Of course, speaking of sleep, Timmy hadn't really slept more than a short nap in nearly 3 days, not since Vicki brought the mutt in.

As he tried to fight it off, Timmy slowly lost his battle and faded into sleep's embrace. He slumped back against the door.

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Vicki had been holding herself crying. She hated how this was all making her feel. A part of her wished she was the cold-hearted babysitter she had been when she was younger, but now he was here. It was him who had hurt her. He was the one who had always managed to weasel his way through her defenses, even when he was just a kid. Now he had done it as an adult, making her love him. And she wanted to hate him for it.

As she had been struggling to control her own thoughts, Vicki had heard knocking at the door. When she heard him shout, she knew he was looking for her. And a part of her wanted to throw the door open, but she couldn't. She was still too hurt, too broken. So instead she cried silently, hoping he wouldn't hear her.

And she had cried right until she had heard him slump against the door. Not knowing what else to do, Vicki curled herself up in a ball. The only thing between them was the door as they both faded into sleep.

The door and their currently breaking hearts.


	7. Chapter 7: Happiness

It had been about two days since the incident. Vicki had locked herself into her apartment. She had been ordering out and was trying to get back into writing her book. Timmy had texted her several times, but she had ignored them. She was still to hurt. Timmy had even tried calling once, but she had deleted the voicemail message without even listening to it.

But she realized she would eventually have to see him. She still needed to go back and get the Mutt. He was her one friend left in this world, the one thing she really truly loved, though she could never really explain why. So after lots of arguing with herself, Vicki pushed herself out of her door once more, remembering the tragic way her leaving her apartment seemed to be ending lately.

As Vicki came into the clinic, she noticed Lauren sitting at the desk. She really didn't want to talk to her, but she was the only person at the desk. After waiting and fidgeting a few minutes as she tried to decide what to do, Vicki took a deep breath and stalked up. As she did, Lauren looked up. When their eyes met, Vicki was pretty sure she saw anger in Lauren's eyes. But why anger? And suddenly she wished she had looked to make sure she was not the only person in the room with this woman.

"How the hell could you do that to him?"

Well that wasn't what Vicki had expected to hear.

"Do what?"

"Not answer any of his phone calls, or not at least let him know you were safe. What The Fuck?" Lauren hissed at Vicki, and Vicki suddenly felt defensive.

"Well he seemed too busy kissing you to be too worried about me." As Lauren's expression changed to one with a bit of a smirk, Vicki was suddenly very confused. Why would Lauren be so laid back about this, but so angry?

"I see. Well if that is all you saw, you weren't looking hard enough."

"What?"

"That man is head over heels in love with you. And you are going to have to see him if you want your dog back anyway. When you didn't answer when he tried to tell you the mutt was ready, he took the dog home." At that, Lauren wrote down an address and handed it to Vicki. "At least go give the man a chance?" As she said this, she turned back to her work, demonstrating that the conversation was over. And Vicki felt hopelessly and completely lost. Love? And why was Lauren pushing her to go see him? Was this some sick joke?

Oh, Wait! The Mutt! She needed to go see Timmy to get the mutt back. Shaking her head to clear it, Vicki looked down at the address. She smiled, if only for an instant when she read it. Then she ran off to see him.

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Timmy was just climbing out of the shower. It had been a long week. After everything with Vicki and Lauren, he was just worn out. He also had not gotten a decent amount of sleep. He had been freaking out about making sure Vicki was alright, but she wouldn't respond to him at all. He wanted to give her space, but he desperately needed to make sure she was safe.

So Timmy had settled into a routine. He had spent his nights at work, rushed home to call and text her, nap for about an hour, then await to see if she would respond. None of it had worked.

And then it had come time for the mutt to come home. He had tried calling her to let her know, but she hadn't even responded to that. And Timmy knew the mutt didn't want to be stuck in the clinic any longer, so he had brought the boy home with him.

And here he was, just settling in after his nap when he heard a knock at the door. It made him jump and Timmy stalked over to the door. The mutt didn't even move from his spot on the couch, so Timmy hadn't worried too much and threw the door open. He did not expect to be greeted by the red-headed, pink eyed woman who slapped him as he opened the door.

"What the hell, Twerp. Dognapping my dog after all the other stunts?" She reared back to slap him again, but his hand caught her wrist. She was glad, personally, because it had hurt when she first hit him.

"No dognapping, I promise. I just wanted him to feel more at home, that's all. I knew you would be coming for him eventually." Here he offered her a smile and Vicki relented a bit. She wasn't sure what to say next, but she didn't need to bother. Timmy offered.

"About the other night, with Lauren. I am so sorry. I….I….I'm sorry Vicki. If you never want to see me again, I understand." He stopped, looking down at his hand in his lap. Vicki stood up and walked over to the dog.

"Yeah, well you should be. Come on buddy, let's get out of here." As she carefully lifted the mutt up, he growled at her. It shocked her, this being the first time he had growled. She set him back down and then watched as the dog, slowly and cautiously, stood up and went to stand behind her. With his head, he was gently pushing her toward Timmy, until the two were right next to one another. Then he almost seemed to smile. Vicki let out a sigh and turned to look at Timmy. Then something clicked in her head.

"Timmy, when I stopped at the clinic, Lauren said you loved me?" She saw him tense. She laid her hand on his shoulder and he relaxed. He stood up so he could look her in the eyes. His stare was intense, it was intimidating, it was breathtaking. She held her own breath, waiting.

"Yes, Vicki. I am in love with you. I have been for quite some time. Even back when you were still babysitting me. You were the only one who was ever actually there for me, even if it was while you were trying to be mean. And after our time together, I know that I am head over heels in love with you. But if that isn't what you want, tell me and I'l-"

Timmy was cut off as she pressed her lips to his, seeking to express everything she was feeling in that instant. Tears were flowing down her own face as she felt him kiss her back with an urgency, suggesting how badly he had wanted to do that. As she pulled back, she cupped his face.

"I love you too, Timmy."

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The dog smiled. This was exactly what he had planned. He had always known these two needed one another. He had not been the smarter, but he had been the more observant. With a small poof, Cosmo disappeared. He had never stopped looking out for his fairy godsons happiness.


End file.
